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Monday, December 10, 2012

Fredericksburg 150th Anniversary

This weekend kicked off the commemoration of the Battle of Fredericksburg, 150 years later. The National Park Service held their main event on Sunday, but special events will be continuing through next weekend. The actual anniversary is on Thursday December 13th. Burnside's Army of the Potomac lost nearly 13,000 men during their futile assaults against Lee's entrenched positions on Marye's Heights. They also temporarily broke through Lee's lines at the Slaughter Pen Farm against Prospect Hill, but without proper supports, only added to the total casualty count. By comparison, Lee lost about 5,000 men. This past weekend the park held living encampments, special tours, battle reenactments and keynote speakers in memory of the men who lost their lives during the Union disaster that was Fredericksburg.

For more information on the battle of Fredericksburg please click on the link below:Fredericksburg

The Civil War Preservation Trust also just released a wonderful new panoramic tour of the Fredericksburg Battlefield on their website, so if you cannot make it to anniversary events this is a great way to see the field and understand the people and events in the Fredericksburg Campaign.CWPT Fredericksburg Tour

The following link is the 150th Anniversary schedule for anyone that might have the opportunity to get to Fredericksburg before the end of the commemoration.Schedule

Photos from this weekend:

Fredericksburg National Cemetery with over 15,000 interments and less than 3,000 of them identified

Procession down the Sunken Road for the Wreath laying on the Kirkland Monument

Remembering not just the slaughter, but the acts of charity during the battle

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About Me

I am a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park and have been studying Civil War history since about age five. The two things that I re-learn every single day are, how much more there is to learn about the American Civil War, and, at least one (usually 20) new thing. The folks that lived through this volatile period all have a story to tell and 'their stories' have changed my life. It is a story worth sharing and there is much for all of us to learn about what it means to be human.

Besides spending most of my time giving tours here at Gettysburg, I also present lectures and programs on numerous Civil War topics. If you or your organization is interested in one of these programs, please don't be shy and contact me. Some of my favorite topics include, but are not limited to; the George Spangler Farm at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Regiments in the war (specializing in the 40th PA (11th Reserves), 50th PA, 105th PA (The Wildcats) and the 127th PA (Dauphin County Regiment), The Wheatfield at Gettysburg, The Peach Orchard at Gettysburg, the Ninth Corps at Antietam, and many others. Thank you for browsing and enjoy.